“I believe Miss Carter would be more comfortable in her own bed.” Jarvis said as he tried to convince the concerned nurse.
“I’m sure she would, but right now, as my patient, I’d be more comfortable with her here where I can keep an eye on her. You go home, Mr. Jarvis. You can come by first thing tomorrow morning to check on her. I promise I won’t let anything happen to her.” Jarvis gave the young woman another once over. He was sure he could convince her but she seemed to be more resilient than he had expected.
Peggy was asleep on the couch, exhausted from the day’s events and the pain in her side caused her to lose consciousness. Jarvis didn’t like the idea of leaving Peggy behind and he knew she wouldn’t like the idea either. But she was unconscious and he didn’t have the strength to carry her without causing her anymore harm.
He decided it would be best for her to stay here, at least until she was awake.
“Very well. I insist you call me the instant she regains consciousness. She’ll want to leave right away and if I’m not here with the car, she’ll surely try to walk home.”
“I promise Mr. Jarvis. Please, go home and rest.”
Jarvis smiled softly at Violet. Even if he was tried, he would not be able to rest. Last year when he had stitched up a bullet wound that Peggy had received, he could barely sleep. Even if the bullet merely grazed her skin and left her with a non-fatal wound. He still couldn’t rest, he spent most of the night cleaning, trying to distract himself. Peggy was fine, of course, her only problem was that she had a noticeable limp. But this was different; she had fallen from a great distance and fell on a pile of reinforcing bars causing one of them to pierce through her stomach. So, even if he wanted to sleep, Jarvis knew he couldn’t. He would have to distract himself until morning.
Jarvis looked over at Peggy again and gathered everything within himself to leave the house.
Violet closed the door behind him and stood by as she listened to Daniel finish his phone call with a woman called Rose.
His eyes never left Peggy. From the moment he brought her into her home, Daniel had not left Peggy’s side. Of course he was worried, a person he knows is badly hurt, but the look on his face and the tone in his voice hinted at something more than just a casual friendship or a working relationship.
The phone call ended and Daniel stepped closer to Peggy. He began to reach down, as if to touch her, but he pulled away when he noticed Violet standing by the door.
“You were amazing tonight.” Daniel turned away from Peggy and stepped closer to Violet.
“You need some rest, too.” Violet ignored his compliment.
“No, I think I’d better stay here in case Peggy wakes up.”
“It’s fine, I’ll take care of it. Just go to bed. I’ll get you if I need you.”
Violet moved past him leaving Daniel confused by her aloofness. He wanted to ask her what was wrong but he didn’t. Maybe it was because he was too tired or something else, but Daniel decided it was better to just leave Violet alone and get some rest.
He looked over at Peggy one more time before he headed toward the bedroom. His heart sank when he saw the bloody bandages on her stomach. He wanted to touch her, just to feel her warmth. She looked stable and Violet assured everyone that she didn’t have any infections, but still, Daniel couldn’t help but feel worried and maybe even a little bit guilty because he couldn’t protect Peggy.
Daniel heard Violet stirring in the kitchen and he decided to go into the bedroom before she caught him staring at Peggy.
---
Only an hour had passed since Peggy arrived to Violet’s house, bloodied and beaten..
Daniel was sound asleep in Violet’s bed and Peggy was beginning to stir on the couch.
Violet had brought her a glass of water while she slept and when she saw Peggy beginning to move, Violet moved closer in case she needed water or anything when she woke up.
Peggy groaned and shifted. She opened her eyes and looked around the room. For a moment, she forgot where she was and she was ready to attack but she controled herself when she saw Violet standing over her. She remembered where she was and the sharp pain in her stomach reminded her why she was laying on a stranger’s couch.
“Here, drink this. And take these.” Violet handed Peggy the glass of water along with two small pills. “They won’t do much, but they’ll at least make the pain more manageable.”
Peggy accepted the pills and water. “Thank you.” She put the pills in her mouth and didn’t stop drinking until all the water was gone. Peggy turned to put the empty glass on coffee table but the motion proved too much for her. She dropped the glass, luckily not breaking it, and winced at the pain.
“Careful, don’t wanna rip your stitches.” Violet moved in and picked up the glass. She placed it on the table and then turned and looked at Peggy.
Peggy looked at Violet as well and wondered why she was so close. She looked around the room and found that they were they the only ones there. She wondered where Javis went and Daniel, too.
“Where are Mr. Jarvis and Daniel?” Violet was overcome with jealousy once again at the familiarity Peggy has when saying Daniel’s name.
“I sent Mr. Jarvis home to rest and Daniel is sleeping in the other room.” Violet remembered her promises to both Mr. Jarvis and Daniel. “Would you like me to get them?”
“No, I’ll call Mr. Jarvis in the morning. And we should let Daniel rest.”
“Shouldn’t you be calling him ‘chief’” She didn’t mean to say this outloud but she couldn’t take the words back once she had said them.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Nothing, it’s just, he is your chief, isn’t he?”
“Well, yes, but I suppose I’m not entirely used to calling him that. I’m sorry, have I offended you in some way? Is my being here bothering you? I could call Jarvis if you’d like.”
A guilty look swept across Violet’s face. She shouldn’t let her jealousy get in the way of helping her patient.
“No, I’m sorry. I was just a little jealous.” This random bout of honesty shocked Violet and Peggy gave her a confused look.
“If you’d like we could switch places.” Peggy moved up the couch a little and pointed to her bloody, bandaged side. Violet gave an awkward laugh. “But I have no idea why you’d be jealous.”
“It’s just the way Daniel looked at you and worried for you when he brought you in. I don’t know what got over me, it’s silly”
Peggy was suddenly embarrassed. She knew the exact looks Violet was talking about; guilt ridden looks as if this is all his fault and his hand did linger on her shoulder for far too long. Peggy was familiar with his longing looks, but Peggy ignored them and never thought of returning them; especially now knowing that he was engaged and because her looks were reserved for someone else.
“I can assure you have nothing to be jealous of, Violet. I consider Daniel to be nothing more than a friend.” Peggy assured Violet and her words did relax the blonde woman.
They were quiet for a while until Violet decided to ask, “Do you have someone back home, in New York I mean?” At first, Peggy was stunned by the sudden personal question but her mind did find its way to a certain someone she left behind.
The memories of a radiant smile warmed her heart and the bright and curious blue eyes brought a smile to her face.
“There was, but I left he-... I left them behind. I was too wrapped up in my own mind that I completely forgot to leave them a letter. I sent them a telegram a few days after I’d arrived but I received no reply. I’ve tried calling a few times but they won’t take my calls. I suppose I should give them space but what if that only makes things worse?”
Peggy began to ramble on but Violet hushed her.
“This person?” Violet questioned, she had a feeling this person might not be a man. “You care about them deeply?”
“Yes, one could say I love them only I’ve never told them that.”
“And do they love you?”
Peggy shrugged but the pain shooting in her stomach made her regret that decision. The pain was white hot and it made her vision blurry. It took a minute for the pain to subside before she could answer the question.
“I don’t know.”
Violet pondered on what to say next. She relaxed immensely after finding out that Peggy’s heart belonged to another and that she didn’t have to worry about Peggy stealing Daniel. She was still worried about Daniel wanting to be with Peggy, but that was for another time. Peggy was hurt both physically and emotionally, and as a nurse, Violet felt that it was her duty to help her patient.
“Well, you’ll never know if you don’t ask.”
“And if they don’t?” In Peggy’s mind, Angie didn’t love her the same way she loved the young actress because how could she? Peggy wasn’t always truthful and she missed dinners that were promised weeks in advance, and because of her job, there were moments where Peggy would become cold and distant because she wanted to keep Angie safe from the dangers of being too close to Peggy.
“Look Peggy, I don’t know you or this person or the situation well enough to say much of anything, but I will give my advice to you as a woman, as a nurse, and hopefully, as a friend, too; Peggy, you’ve survived war, you’ve survived a piece of metal piercing your stomach; you can survive a lousy conversation with the person you love.”
At first Peggy was taken aback by Violet’s severe bluntness, but she quickly found it refreshing and necessary. Violet was right of course, Peggy had survived much worse, and the hole in her side was proof enough. But that still didn’t stop her from feeling insecure and vulnerable.
“I do believe you are right, Violet. But this person doesn’t answer my calls and they don’t exactly live in town, I have no means of talking to them.”
“What if I call? The operator will say the call is from me and I’ll pass you the phone when she answers.”
Peggy gave thought to Violet’s plan and how it might work, but Peggy wasn’t ready or at least that’s what she told herself.
“I don’t know. It’s very late.” Which was the truth but Peggy knew she was just making excuses.
“Peggy, if you don’t do this now, you never will”
And once again, Nurse Violet was right.
Peggy told Violet that she would go along with her plan. But before they could make the call, Peggy had to tell Violet that it was a woman who she was in love with.
“Before you make the call, there’s something I need to tell you. The person I love is a woman, and I completely understand if you find that appalling and I will not force you to participate in something you don’t agree with...”
“Peggy,” Violet interrupted, “I know that already. For a spy, you’re kind of a bad liar. And I’m okay with that. I work with plenty of girls who are just like you. I have no problem with this. Now, quit stalling, and let me make the call.”
Violet stood up and walked over to the phone that was in the hall. The cord was just long enough to bring the telephone to the couch and Peggy was able to hold the receiver without having to twist her body in an uncomfortable position.
Violet held the receiver to her ear as Peggy told her what numbers to dial. Violet quickly spoke to the operator and then waited as the line began to ring. It rang for a while, which was understandable since it was the middle of the night, but someone finally did answer.
“Hello?” a tired and annoyed voice answered.
“Sorry to bother you, but is this Angie Martinelli?” Violet said casually as if it were normal to just call someone in the middle of the night.
“Yes and you are?”
“Just a friend, look, I have someone here who would like to talk to you. I’ll pass them the phone.”
Violet handed to the phone to Peggy and then she left the room to give Peggy privacy. Peggy took the receiver in he hands and held it close to her ear. She could hear Angie yawning and fidget with the cord. Peggy was silent and she just listened to Angie breathing, something she didn’t know she’d missed until now.
“Um, hello?” Angie said after a minute of silence. Peggy’s mouth was dry and her heart was beating so loud she was sure that Angie could hear it on the other line.
“Hello.” Peggy finally said. She was tempted to hang up but then she heard Angie whisper the nickname she had given her and Peggy was pulled back in by the softness of her voice.
“English? Is that really you?”
“Yes, Angie, it’s me. How are?”
“Right now, I’m pretty ticked off that you’re calling me in the middle of the night and who was that girl? Where are you?” Angie asked what seemed like a million questions before Peggy told her that she would explain everything in a moment, but first she need to tell Angie something.
“I want to start off by saying how much I’ve missed you Angie. I truly have and that I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye. I thought it would be easier for me, but I can assure you it truly hasn’t because leaving you behind has been the hardest thing I have ever done in my entire life. I’m calling because I have something to tell you. I’ve had these feelings for a very long time but I’ve had no way to communicate them. And I’m just going to say them now because if I don’t say what I have to say now, then I’ll just keep speaking without saying anything.” Peggy took a deep breath and just leaped. “Angie I...”
Peggy stopped when she heard Angie sniffling on the other line. Angie was crying now. Peggy wanted to ask what was wrong but Angie spoke before she could ask.
“God Peggy. You leave without saying a word and when I do finally hear from you, all I get is a lousy telegram? You couldn’t have called when you landed? And now that you are calling me, it’s in the middle of the night because you need to tell me about your feelings? What is wrong with you, Peggy? What about my feelings?”
Peggy didn’t say anything. She held the phone closer to her ear hoping to meld her way through the phone to be closer to Angie, but she never felt further away. She could feel the tears burning behind her now closed eyes. Peggy listened to the soft sobs that were now coming from Angie.
The pain in Peggy’s heart hurt worse, much worse than the pain on her side. She would rather suffer a bar in the stomach ten times over than listen to Angie cry. And the pain was even more intense since she was the one causing her to cry.
“Was it easy?” Angie asked softly and Peggy’s heart sank
“No, of course not. I’ve done a lot of difficult things in my life but nothing can compare to me leaving you. I promise you if I could take it all back I would.”
“But why didn’t you call? You sent a telegram saying that you had to leave suddenly for work but that you couldn’t explain. I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble at work but I would’ve been okay with a letter and a phone call. But I’m not okay with a telegram three days after you just disappeared. I know your job is complicated and that you can’t tell me everything but I thought you were kidnapped or worse. I feared the worse, Peggy.”
“I know and I’m truly sorry. I don’t think I could ever apologize enough for what I have put you through. I still can’t tell you why I left but I’m okay.”
Peggy hesitated when she told Angie she was okay. A sudden shock of pain surged through her stomach. It was almost as if her wound was telling her not to lie. The white hot pain became numb again and Peggy knew she had to tell Angie about the events that had occured that night.
“Peggy!” Angie yelled but with less anger and more worry and annoyance.
“I’m okay now. Promise.”
“How can you say you’re okay when you literally had a steel bar sticking out of your stomach just a few hours ago? How can you have such little regard for your own safety? What about the people who care about you? Mr. Jarvis? Even Howard Stark cares about you. And me. What about me? Would anybody tell me anything if something bad happened to you? I mean, why would they? It’s not like I’m your wife or anything!”
Angie rambled on but Peggy stopped listening when she heard Angie say ‘wife’. Why would Angie say ‘wife’? And why did Peggy’s heart flutter and beat faster when she said ‘wife’? And why would she smile? And why did her tears go from tears of sadness to tears of happiness?
“Wife?” Peggy finally said after Angie rambled on for a few minutes.
“What?”
“You said wife. You said ‘it’s not like I’m your wife’.”
“It’s just a phrase.”
“You could have said ‘sister’ or ‘cousin’ or anything but you said ‘wife’.”
Peggy wasn’t sure why she was pressing Angie so hard over this. Maybe it was just a phrase. A slip of the tongue even.
“You called me to tell me about your feelings. Well I want to tell you about mine first. English, I care about you a lot. And more than just a roommate and more than just a friend. I mean why do you think I tried so hard to get you to move into the Griffith? Yes I knew you needed a place but I also wanted you to move in so I could see you more. And then after Miriam kicked you out and then me and you invited me to move in with you into Howard Stark’s penthouse, of course I was going to say yes. I couldn’t bear the thought of being away from you because Peggy, I-”
“Love you.” Peggy finished Angie’s sentence.
Both women sat in silence listening to each other’s breathing and heartbeats. Things were finally understood between the two and things that needed to be said were said and the air was now cleared and they were both happy. This conversation should have happened sooner but it was better late than never.
“When will you be back?”
“I still have a lot to do here but the moment I’m finished I will come right back and you and I can finally-”
“Kiss? English at least buy me dinner first.”
Peggy just laughed. “I’ll see you when I come home.” Peggy’s heart warmed when she said ‘home’. Peggy never felt like the penthouse was home. Especially when Jarvis and Howard offered her the place last year. And when she and Angie first moved in, it still didn’t feel totally like home but now it was. It was home because Angie was there.
“Be safe.”
“I will.”
Peggy and Angie said their final goodbyes and then hung up. A few moments after Peggy set the phone down on the receiver, Violet walked back into the room.
“I wasn’t listening. I promise. I just heard you hanging up and that’s it.” Violet had her hands over her ears just in case. She made her way over to Peggy and sat down next to her. “Are you all better?”
“I think it’ll be awhile until I completely heal.”
“I meant with Angie.”
“Yes, thank you. I think if it weren’t you I would have avoided this conversation for the rest of my life and I would have regretted it. Also thank you for everything else. I know you felt that I had feelings for Daniel but you helped anyway. That is very noble of you.”
Violet smiled and Peggy moved to hug her. The pain in her side ached a little but it has gotten a lot more bearable. The pill Violet had given her was working better than expected.
“I should call Mr. Jarvis. He would like to know that I’m awake now and he won’t rest until he knows I’m okay.”
Peggy picked up the telephone once again and she dialed the number to Howard’s mansion. It rang once and a worried Jarvis answered.
“Miss Carter. I am on my way.” Peggy heard a click and then silence followed by the dial tone.
“He’ll be here shortly.”
Violet looked over Peggy’s wound once again and changed the bandages before Jarvis arrived.
In ten minutes there was a knock at the door and of course Jarvis walked in when Violet answered.
“Miss Carter how are you feeling?” Jarvis quickly strode towards Peggy who was trying to stand on her own.
“I’m much better thanks to Violet.”
“It was no problem. But maybe next time I see you, you’d better not be bleeding.”
“I’ll try.”
Violet and Peggy shared one more hug. When they seperated, Violet handed Jarvis a small leather bag.
“There are extra bandages and pills for the pain. It really isn’t a lot but it’s the best I can do.”
“You’ve done enough, I assure you.”
“Should we inform Chief Sousa that you’ve awaken?” Jarvis asked as he and Peggy made their way out the door.
“Don’t worry about Daniel. I’ll let him know when he wakes up. Peggy needs more rest and so do you, Mr. Jarvis. I’m sure he’ll be by to visit later today. But for now, go. And call me if you need anything.”
The moment Peggy entered the car she had fallen asleep and woke up as they arrived to the mansion. Peggy only now realised how exhausted she was and how badly she just wanted to fall asleep again in her own bed.
“Can I get you anything else?” Jarvis asked and he helped Peggy into her room.
“No thank you, Jarvis. You’ve done enough for the moment. You should get some rest as well.”
Peggy could see that he wanted to protest the idea of rest but he said nothing. Jarvis helped her climb the stairs up to her room and then helped her into bed. He offered to help her change so she could be more comfortable but Peggy only laughed and said that that would make her the opposite of comfortable.
“I’m fine Jarvis, really. Now, if you don’t leave me to rest I’ll show you how truly fine I really am.”
Jarvis straightened at the threat and he knew not to take any threat from Peggy lightly and even though she was injured she would still hurt him. He left the room and Peggy adjusted herself on the bed until she was in a more bearable position.
The night’s events were finally catching up with her and she could feel her body and mind weigh heavier with exhaustion.
There was a lot to do still but for right now, all Peggy could think about was seeing Angie again. And that was all she dreamt about.